I have hit the three month mark, the sweet spot where a lot of the serious healing is apparently done. I pleased with this, life is slowly approaching normal.
I did get in trouble though, at the 12 week mark. My physio told me right off. I have really struggled to do my exercises now I am back at work. Work is still hard going, even though I sit in a chair all day I am exhausted. I come home and do all the things, cooking and generally home things. All I want to do is collapse on the couch!
I did get in the swimming pool and that went well, I started with 400m and that actually felt great. Hard work but I am not as unfit as I thought I was. The extra movement from the joint is amazing in the pool.
The physio did also help with the walk, my core muscles are weak and I need to tighten them when walking. Also be more defined with my heel to toe walking, I have so very bad habits from when I limped. I am hoping all this will become second nature and the waddle not return when tired or not concentrating.
I just need to get over this tiredness and do my exercises.
7.4.16
Positive post, moving forward.
So, after the previous post it is time to do a post full of joy!
So in the past month there has been some very steady progress. I am going to compile them in sort form. They may not mean much to you but for me, they are big deals.
I attended a wedding armed with a crutch and wearing high heels and corset. I ditched the crutch early on and stood, walked and chatted most of the night in said heels and corset. I reverted to the backup sneakers late in the evening and had, in general a wonderful time.
I have pretty much eliminated all pain killers. I am no longer taking any drugs besides the odd paracetamol.
I went to Hastings with Mr Gin and another mate, we walked all over, including up the steep hill to the castle. (It takes a lot to stop me checking out a castle.) Mr Gin estimated we walked 6 to 7 kilometres. We don’t think I've walked that far in a day for a good nine months.
I can easily walk to the long bus stop and have walked to one of our train stations, regular like.
I have stood on a bus, for a couple of stops.
I have pretty much abandoned walking aids of any sort. I do carry a stick for when I get tired, but that is a last resort type of thing.
I can get down on one knee in order to do my shoes up, it is still awkward and quite stiff but I am getting there.
Stairs are slowly getting there, the ones at home are proving a challenge as they are deep and bit steep. I am still struggling with the corner.
I got up and down some portable steps to paint a door, it was not a difficult thing. It was soothing to be able to something so practical.
I’ve started sewing seriously again.
I vacuumed.
I had a bath, getting in was a challenge and getting out was a touch entertaining, having to turn over get up from kneeling position.
The waddle is slowly lessening. It gets spectacular when tired but hopefully another month and it will be gone!
I am slowly extending the time I can sit in an office chair.
I smile a lot more, a lot more. I knew I was sad and struggling with depression but not quite how much.
I still am getting implant pain but that seems to be lessening.
So all in all, not bad at all.
So in the past month there has been some very steady progress. I am going to compile them in sort form. They may not mean much to you but for me, they are big deals.
I attended a wedding armed with a crutch and wearing high heels and corset. I ditched the crutch early on and stood, walked and chatted most of the night in said heels and corset. I reverted to the backup sneakers late in the evening and had, in general a wonderful time.
I have pretty much eliminated all pain killers. I am no longer taking any drugs besides the odd paracetamol.
I went to Hastings with Mr Gin and another mate, we walked all over, including up the steep hill to the castle. (It takes a lot to stop me checking out a castle.) Mr Gin estimated we walked 6 to 7 kilometres. We don’t think I've walked that far in a day for a good nine months.
I can easily walk to the long bus stop and have walked to one of our train stations, regular like.
I have stood on a bus, for a couple of stops.
I have pretty much abandoned walking aids of any sort. I do carry a stick for when I get tired, but that is a last resort type of thing.
I can get down on one knee in order to do my shoes up, it is still awkward and quite stiff but I am getting there.
Stairs are slowly getting there, the ones at home are proving a challenge as they are deep and bit steep. I am still struggling with the corner.
I got up and down some portable steps to paint a door, it was not a difficult thing. It was soothing to be able to something so practical.
I’ve started sewing seriously again.
I vacuumed.
I had a bath, getting in was a challenge and getting out was a touch entertaining, having to turn over get up from kneeling position.
The waddle is slowly lessening. It gets spectacular when tired but hopefully another month and it will be gone!
I am slowly extending the time I can sit in an office chair.
I smile a lot more, a lot more. I knew I was sad and struggling with depression but not quite how much.
I still am getting implant pain but that seems to be lessening.
So all in all, not bad at all.
 |
| Proving how awesome I feel! METAL |
4.4.16
Working for the man
I’ve been a bit quiet of recent times.
The few weeks or so has been a little more stressful than I would have liked. The main reason for this is work. I have thought long and hard about blogging about this stress because I know there are some people from work who read this. On the whole work have been really helpful, especially Occupational Health and Human Resources. Answering questions and helping with making sure I was coping.
And to honest, mentally, the whole situation has been challenging and returning to work was not something I was looking forward to. The final month or so at work was physically difficult due to pain management and astoundingly stressful. The commute was difficult and painful, my independence was eroding away and I was scheduling my out of work life so I could manage work. Even at work I wasn’t pulling my weight, pain made if difficult to think on a good day and on a bad day it was nigh on impossible.
So, going back wasn’t something I was looking forward to. Occupational Health put me in touch with a scheme called Access to Work. A governmental grant. I had contacted them early in the piece but into the lead up to the operation had lost touch with them. (A lot of things slid then.) I realised I had not heard from them when getting organised to return to work. I called and the case manager had left and I had to start all over again. Cue crying.
Not great but they seemed pretty helpful although a little astounded that I did not have a car and did not want to drive to work. I pointed out in the end that this was not unusual for London at all. The ball was rolling there and I was getting all the documents that work required. They wanted a fitness to work certificate before anything else happened which was a little fiddly to obtain as they are not something that is done by my GP surgery.
I was quite worried at this point I wouldn’t get paid if there were gaps between my sick leave and returning to work. I said this and work agreed that wouldn’t happen. I had been in physically to work and a time to start the next Monday was agreed but I was a little concerned that the paper work for occ health had not gone in as promised but figured it would be all okay.
The following day I got an email that I was having my occ health appointment on the 21st, a week after I started back. I thought that was odd but figured if there was any change to the start date I would be told. I had been told over the phone that Access to Work funding would be in place for the 14th and all information would be emailed out. Before I started.
Friday afternoon I have not heard from Access to Work, I called only to find the case worker stopped work at 2:30pm. This was suboptimal so I braced myself for the tube journey because I had not heard anything from work.
Monday morning I headed off and arrived at work feeling quite sore and tired but okay. The tube was stressful on my own and I felt pretty vulnerable. Mr Hutt’s words about falls and fractures were ringing in my ears as I navigated my way through the heaving mass of humanity that is London underground.
I got into work and my boss asked me why I was there. And I said that we had agreed to this start date. It transpired that that work wanted me to work from home and had emailed me on my work email. The one I wasn’t checking. I could have cried at that moment. The bonkers bit was that I could not have worked from home because there was someone in my desk. We log into our work PCs from home for remote access. The thought of having to turn around and head back on the tube pretty much blew all the mental effort I had pulled together to cope out of the water. What cope I had, run out. I just wish my boss had called me when I had not responded to the email.
So home I went and tried to get my head in the right place to start work on the Tuesday, via remote access. I felt pretty out of sorts. My job although, not overly complicated has a lot knowledge to retain and remember, being off work for 8/9 weeks meant I felt I could remember very little. I felt isolated as I sat at home and tried to get my leg to be happy with sitting at desk. Even though I had being playing a lot of Minecraft, I would play a little bit then get up and do something else. Work I could not do it. 45 minutes sitting still was painful.
I also was fighting a cold that would not go and that with working from home, it was a week of fighting my body and dodgy brain chemistry. Not a good start at all.
I went back into work the following week, using the cab service. Going through London traffic is not very stress free. There were some entertaining times and routes but at least I was not having to worry about being jostled and knocked. The Occupational Health doctor was lovely and impressed with my new posture and the lack of walking stick. We started on a phased return which is shortened hours and slowly moving up to full time hours. Thankfully we had a shortened week so that my leg could get used to the sitting. There was a lot of implant pain but as time went on it did settle.
Being the office helped mentally as well, much more able to focus and felt a lot less out of my depth. We have some interesting times as I don’t think I could manage the three flights of stairs for fire evacuation but it looks like I will be sheltering in stairwells unless there is a serious risk.
All in all it was an sub par return to work but somethings could have been handled better because my stress levels really didn’t need that spike. Oh well, onwards and upwards, let’s hope my first full week goes well.
The few weeks or so has been a little more stressful than I would have liked. The main reason for this is work. I have thought long and hard about blogging about this stress because I know there are some people from work who read this. On the whole work have been really helpful, especially Occupational Health and Human Resources. Answering questions and helping with making sure I was coping.
And to honest, mentally, the whole situation has been challenging and returning to work was not something I was looking forward to. The final month or so at work was physically difficult due to pain management and astoundingly stressful. The commute was difficult and painful, my independence was eroding away and I was scheduling my out of work life so I could manage work. Even at work I wasn’t pulling my weight, pain made if difficult to think on a good day and on a bad day it was nigh on impossible.
So, going back wasn’t something I was looking forward to. Occupational Health put me in touch with a scheme called Access to Work. A governmental grant. I had contacted them early in the piece but into the lead up to the operation had lost touch with them. (A lot of things slid then.) I realised I had not heard from them when getting organised to return to work. I called and the case manager had left and I had to start all over again. Cue crying.
Not great but they seemed pretty helpful although a little astounded that I did not have a car and did not want to drive to work. I pointed out in the end that this was not unusual for London at all. The ball was rolling there and I was getting all the documents that work required. They wanted a fitness to work certificate before anything else happened which was a little fiddly to obtain as they are not something that is done by my GP surgery.
I was quite worried at this point I wouldn’t get paid if there were gaps between my sick leave and returning to work. I said this and work agreed that wouldn’t happen. I had been in physically to work and a time to start the next Monday was agreed but I was a little concerned that the paper work for occ health had not gone in as promised but figured it would be all okay.
The following day I got an email that I was having my occ health appointment on the 21st, a week after I started back. I thought that was odd but figured if there was any change to the start date I would be told. I had been told over the phone that Access to Work funding would be in place for the 14th and all information would be emailed out. Before I started.
Friday afternoon I have not heard from Access to Work, I called only to find the case worker stopped work at 2:30pm. This was suboptimal so I braced myself for the tube journey because I had not heard anything from work.
Monday morning I headed off and arrived at work feeling quite sore and tired but okay. The tube was stressful on my own and I felt pretty vulnerable. Mr Hutt’s words about falls and fractures were ringing in my ears as I navigated my way through the heaving mass of humanity that is London underground.
I got into work and my boss asked me why I was there. And I said that we had agreed to this start date. It transpired that that work wanted me to work from home and had emailed me on my work email. The one I wasn’t checking. I could have cried at that moment. The bonkers bit was that I could not have worked from home because there was someone in my desk. We log into our work PCs from home for remote access. The thought of having to turn around and head back on the tube pretty much blew all the mental effort I had pulled together to cope out of the water. What cope I had, run out. I just wish my boss had called me when I had not responded to the email.
So home I went and tried to get my head in the right place to start work on the Tuesday, via remote access. I felt pretty out of sorts. My job although, not overly complicated has a lot knowledge to retain and remember, being off work for 8/9 weeks meant I felt I could remember very little. I felt isolated as I sat at home and tried to get my leg to be happy with sitting at desk. Even though I had being playing a lot of Minecraft, I would play a little bit then get up and do something else. Work I could not do it. 45 minutes sitting still was painful.
I also was fighting a cold that would not go and that with working from home, it was a week of fighting my body and dodgy brain chemistry. Not a good start at all.
I went back into work the following week, using the cab service. Going through London traffic is not very stress free. There were some entertaining times and routes but at least I was not having to worry about being jostled and knocked. The Occupational Health doctor was lovely and impressed with my new posture and the lack of walking stick. We started on a phased return which is shortened hours and slowly moving up to full time hours. Thankfully we had a shortened week so that my leg could get used to the sitting. There was a lot of implant pain but as time went on it did settle.
Being the office helped mentally as well, much more able to focus and felt a lot less out of my depth. We have some interesting times as I don’t think I could manage the three flights of stairs for fire evacuation but it looks like I will be sheltering in stairwells unless there is a serious risk.
All in all it was an sub par return to work but somethings could have been handled better because my stress levels really didn’t need that spike. Oh well, onwards and upwards, let’s hope my first full week goes well.
10.3.16
Seven weeks, not seven deadly sins.
Seven weeks. Boom.
Back to work next week, not a quite a boom.
I like my job but if I never had to work again, I would be a happy camper, especially if I there was money to live comfortably. I must remember to buy a lottery tickets.
I am waiting for some information from the Access to Work lady, I am hopeful that I will get funding to help with travel. I went into work on Tuesday, it is a bus, two tubes and kilometre walk commute, over an hour. Catching up with work people was nice; my line manager was surprised how straight I stand now. My whole posture has changed. By the time I got home with a side trip to the doctor’s I was exhausted. I needed a two hour nap! And I had not done any work!
I am walking much better, already the waddle is decreasing but I really need to focus on the exercises. I get caught up doing other things, washing, pottering, shopping (which takes so much time) and of course, Minecraft.
I am still using the single crutch out in crowds, I am still hyper worried about being knocked.
I have had a nice week of socialising, Tuesday, a group of us came second in the pub quiz and last night I caught up with some ex-colleagues which was lovely. We have found that a few drinks does make the waddle worse. Not really surprising there.
This weekend a wedding. And hopefully but the end of the week, doing stairs like a real person and no bloody crutch outside.
Back to work next week, not a quite a boom.
I like my job but if I never had to work again, I would be a happy camper, especially if I there was money to live comfortably. I must remember to buy a lottery tickets.
I am waiting for some information from the Access to Work lady, I am hopeful that I will get funding to help with travel. I went into work on Tuesday, it is a bus, two tubes and kilometre walk commute, over an hour. Catching up with work people was nice; my line manager was surprised how straight I stand now. My whole posture has changed. By the time I got home with a side trip to the doctor’s I was exhausted. I needed a two hour nap! And I had not done any work!
I am walking much better, already the waddle is decreasing but I really need to focus on the exercises. I get caught up doing other things, washing, pottering, shopping (which takes so much time) and of course, Minecraft.
I am still using the single crutch out in crowds, I am still hyper worried about being knocked.
I have had a nice week of socialising, Tuesday, a group of us came second in the pub quiz and last night I caught up with some ex-colleagues which was lovely. We have found that a few drinks does make the waddle worse. Not really surprising there.
This weekend a wedding. And hopefully but the end of the week, doing stairs like a real person and no bloody crutch outside.
7.3.16
Hi ho, hi ho, it is off to physio we go.
Today was my second trip to Physio. I have dumped the second crutch after Mr Hutt said that it was could go. He also said if the physio was happy with me not using crutches to go for it!
The Physio was very much willing to let me go. We practised walking with a waddle and stairs. Not that thrilling but for me amazing. I do walk with a waddle but that should disappear soon enough as we get more strength in the legs and bum. Some of my gluteus muscles were cut during the operation and they need to heal as well as get stronger.
Putting on shoes and socks is still a bit over exciting and I have some options but need to stretch some muscles that have not been used much. I really need to get this sorted quickly, I am bored of my slip on sneakers that have been my only shoes for six months!
She was pleased I was going to going swimming and felt that back stroke and freestyle (front crawl) where going to help a lot. I have some new exercises; mainly bum and strengthening the old muscles up for striding around like a boss.
Other things that have been going on is getting ready to return to work. Long term sick is something I really would not like to repeat because the general mayhem it is causing. My GP is not that helpful with such things like certificates etc. They are so difficult to get on the phone and Mr Gin rang for something else today and he only dialled 37 times and spent ten minutes on hold. That gives you an indication of the interesting aspect of getting hold of them. I rang a number of today and in between trying to sort out some odd jobs, physio and their very long lunch break where they not pick up the phone at all. Very frustrating because lots of people need a particular certificate to get things moving and I have no idea when I can get it!
This includes Access to Work, a government scheme that hopefully will help with taxis for the first couple of months as I heal and work.
This week will be busy but there has to be time for walking, and more walking for a little bit with one crutch on the tube etc but I am thinking of going back to my walking stick for a bit to be able to fold it up and then have it for when I get tired.
So, it is all full ahead for returning to work. As much as I love my job, I wouldn't mind winning the lottery at the point to have a full six months to strengthen me to a new body of awesome.
The Physio was very much willing to let me go. We practised walking with a waddle and stairs. Not that thrilling but for me amazing. I do walk with a waddle but that should disappear soon enough as we get more strength in the legs and bum. Some of my gluteus muscles were cut during the operation and they need to heal as well as get stronger.
Putting on shoes and socks is still a bit over exciting and I have some options but need to stretch some muscles that have not been used much. I really need to get this sorted quickly, I am bored of my slip on sneakers that have been my only shoes for six months!
She was pleased I was going to going swimming and felt that back stroke and freestyle (front crawl) where going to help a lot. I have some new exercises; mainly bum and strengthening the old muscles up for striding around like a boss.
Other things that have been going on is getting ready to return to work. Long term sick is something I really would not like to repeat because the general mayhem it is causing. My GP is not that helpful with such things like certificates etc. They are so difficult to get on the phone and Mr Gin rang for something else today and he only dialled 37 times and spent ten minutes on hold. That gives you an indication of the interesting aspect of getting hold of them. I rang a number of today and in between trying to sort out some odd jobs, physio and their very long lunch break where they not pick up the phone at all. Very frustrating because lots of people need a particular certificate to get things moving and I have no idea when I can get it!
This includes Access to Work, a government scheme that hopefully will help with taxis for the first couple of months as I heal and work.
This week will be busy but there has to be time for walking, and more walking for a little bit with one crutch on the tube etc but I am thinking of going back to my walking stick for a bit to be able to fold it up and then have it for when I get tired.
So, it is all full ahead for returning to work. As much as I love my job, I wouldn't mind winning the lottery at the point to have a full six months to strengthen me to a new body of awesome.
3.3.16
Six weeks!
Six weeks this time I was sitting up in a hospital bed with Mr Gin and Mum chatting away. I had a very numb, wooden leg and the bruises had started to rise.
Six weeks is the sweet spot with hip replacements. You get rid of TEDs, you can drive, some can go back to work, you can road test it in intimate moments and you have a check up with your surgeon. A lot of the dangers have gone, dislocation, although still a risk for a month or so longer is less. You can start to experiment with going over 90 degrees and generally try and get your new life going.
It has been an interesting time, it has been eye opening how amazing my body is and how crap my brain chemistry is.
I have more movement and mobility than ever. I have even legs which means when sorted I should not have a limp. I have never walked without one, it has been always there, from a small one right through to a full hip hiking ship rolling pirate walk. My muscles stop me before the joint, again a new experience.
My brain has suffered a bit. There have been some very flat days. Sitting and crying because bed to drawers was hard work. Struggling to see the point of getting out of bed. Losing days to Minecraft because then l don't have think about much more than killing zombies and long straight tunnels hunting for diamonds. And then amazing highs, feeling like I could take on the world and then taking a step and everything goes ouch. At least I knew how screwed my brain was going to be. I knew I could be crying over silly things and struggling with feeling useless.
My rock, Mr Gin, has been amazing, through thick and thin. Being caring and carrying most of the house hold duties. And just his presence pretty much limited my mood.
It certainly feels a lot longer than six weeks, the improvements so swift. I'm able to shower myself, almost get socks on like a normal person, walk with one crutch, waddle without any and be pretty much pain free. Still taking naproxen but don't miss the grinding and gripping pain of bone on bone.
All it has been an amazing ride and it can only get better.
Tonight, I will have some drinks with good mates and celebrate this exciting new chapter.
2.3.16
The End of the TEDs
The bane of Mr Gin and my lives has gone! No more TEDs! No more ugly bottle green stockings with the annoying hole at the end that my toe(s) would escape through and drive me nuts.
The threat from DVT has passed and also from strangling each other with the bloody things.
My mother and Mr Gin were very patient with putting them on, using the plastic bag technique. I have been not been able to do it.
I am pleased to see the back of very dry legs, that produced the charming ‘leg dandruff’. Mr Gin is also pleased because he does not like goopy things on his hands and he was a champ and moisturised said dry legs.
Having to wear the blasted things almost 24 hours a day was very uncomfortable and I am wearing normal socks today and my feet are wonderfully warm.
The only one that is sad that they will not be coming back is Whitby, one of our cats. Who has a bit of a foot fetish and loves to lick plastic bags. He is an odd cat, and joined in TEDs putting on a number of times.
The threat from DVT has passed and also from strangling each other with the bloody things.
My mother and Mr Gin were very patient with putting them on, using the plastic bag technique. I have been not been able to do it.
I am pleased to see the back of very dry legs, that produced the charming ‘leg dandruff’. Mr Gin is also pleased because he does not like goopy things on his hands and he was a champ and moisturised said dry legs.
Having to wear the blasted things almost 24 hours a day was very uncomfortable and I am wearing normal socks today and my feet are wonderfully warm.
The only one that is sad that they will not be coming back is Whitby, one of our cats. Who has a bit of a foot fetish and loves to lick plastic bags. He is an odd cat, and joined in TEDs putting on a number of times.
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